Something Simple
by Laura Lovegood
Summary: Harry's 6th year is full of love, death, and NEWTs. What other secrets lie ahead for Harry and his friends? HPLL RWHG Read and Review!
1. Chapter One

"Lu? Are you home?"

Luna smiled as she heard her father's voice. She had started to worry, he was late coming home from work. Lately she always worried when he was late, even though she would never admit it. With all the news of the Dark Lord and the war, she wanted to know where he was at all times. "Yes, daddy. I'm in the kitchen." She turned around to see him poke his head into the doorway before he entered the room.

"And how is my darling? Did you have a good day?" he asked as he kissed her forehead.

"It was fine. I spent a couple of hours in the garden. I put up some traps to capture Moon Sprites for when the full moon comes."

Mr. Lovegood smiled at the excitement in his daughter's voice. "You really loved last month's Quibbler, didn't you?" he said with a laugh.

"I always do! Daddy, you look a bit tired. Why don't you go inside for a bit? I'll bring you a cup of tea so you can relax and do some work before dinner."

" That sounds wonderful." Luna watched her father as he exited the room as she waved her wand to heat the water. Walking over to the cupboard, she started humming to herself while thinking of which tea to use. She decided on Earl Grey, being as it was daddy's favorite. Her humming got louder and louder, as it always did when she was particularly happy. She was glad in this moment, just being with her father and enjoying his company. She smiled as she took a cup from the drainboard. This one was her favorite, her mother had painted it. The outside was a dark blue color decorated with silver and gold stars while the inside was a solid gold color. The stars had even been bewitched to twinkle like the night sky. Her mother, always so creative and crafty. When she was done adding the tea leaves and pouring the hot water into the cup, she set them on a wooden tray and began to walk into the living room.

As soon as she entered, she froze. The tray crashed to the floor, shattering the teacup into pieces. Her wide eyes were focused on what was in front of her. Across the room, her father was crumpled on the floor, motionless. Standing next to him was a man she had never seen before. Although she had never lain eyes on him, she knew right away who it was.

He Who Must Not Be Named.

Her breathing got faster. Why was he here? What did he want with daddy?

She stood frozen until she heard him speak.

"Ah, Ms. Lovegood. Just the person I wanted to talk to. If you enjoy life, then I suggest you cooperate with me."

Luna said nothing.

"You will lead me to Potter."

She snapped out of her trance at once. Harry? He wanted her to betray her friend and lead him to his death? Did he take her for a fool? He wasn't going to get his way that easily.

"You had better kill me then. I would rather die than tell you where Harry is."

He laughed. It made her skin crawl.

"Fine. As you wish."

He said two words, and a green light filled the room, along with Luna's screaming.

Harry shot up in his bed. Sweat dripped from his face as he fumbled in the dark for his glasses. He sat still for a moment, listening to the rain pound against the window of the dormitory. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he rested his head in his hands and closed his eyes. His scar was burning.

What had just happened? Was that a nightmare? A premonition? He could not help but think of last year when he had seen Mr. Wealsey get attacked by a snake in his dream. What if Luna was really in danger? He went to jump from his bed when he stopped. It wasn't like that this time. They were at Hogwarts. Luna was in her dormitory, not at her house. He rested his head on his pillow.

He had been having bad dreams like this almost once a week, if not more. He always saw someone he loved die, all because of him. In every dream, Voldemort wanted to know where Harry was and killed whoever did not disclose this information. Naturally, he had witnessed everyone of the people he cared about die at the hands of Voldemort. Strangely though, he had dreamt of Luna the most. Not only in nightmares, but at other times too. Sometimes he just saw her eyes, or her hair, or her smile....

He shook himself from his thoughts and rolled over. Surely he did not have the hots for Luna Lovegood. Rubbish.

Listening to the sounds of the rain and Ron snoring, he closed his eyes and fell back asleep.


	2. Chapter Two

**Forgot to add this: I own a cat named Harry Potter, but that's about it.**

Harry awoke the next morning to an empty dormitory. It was a bright Saturday in January, and he could feel his stomach grumble from hunger. He quickly got out of bed and dressed, praying that he hadn't missed breakfast. When he got to the common room, he found Ron and Hermione in front of the fire, open books and parchment sprawled in front of them. They seemed to be in the middle of a heated discussion.

"Honestly, Ronald Weasley, don't you ever do your own homework? I don't mind if you ask me for help, but copying my work? Really, you would think that by your sixth year you would learn how to do your own work in a timely manner. Perhaps I should have gotten you another assignment organizer for Christmas this year instead of --"

"No, no, no! Not another one of those things. I'm happy with my broom servicing kit, thank you very much. And who's to say I was copying? I was just... admiring your penmenship..." Ron went to glance once more at Hermione's parchment, but was shocked when she snatched it off the table and moved it out of his line of vision.

"You've been eyeing my essay for the past half hour. You haven't even attempted doing your own essay without looking at what I have written."

"Rubbish! I've written plenty on my own!" Harry saw Ron move his essay slightly out of Hermione's reach. Harry could tell that Ron had probably written close to nothing, and what he had written had most likely been thanks to Hermione.

"I'll believe that as soon as I believe in heliopaths... Harry! How long have you been standing there?"

Harry smirked to himself as he plopped himself into the armchair across from them. Those two were always at eachothers throats over something.

"Not long, just enough to remember that I have to finish my essay for Transfiguration, or else you'll threaten to take back my Christmas present and get me another one of those nagging organizers."

Hermione frowned. "You haven't done your work either? The two of you, honestly."

Ron cut in before she could really get going. "Anyway! I tried waking you for breakfast mate, but you just kept rolling over and mumbling something. I figured you had another one of .... those nights. Figured I should let you sleep in."

With this, Harry's stomach growled. He didn't feel like going down to the kitchens, so he decided to just tough it out until lunch.

"I think I'll join you in finishing up some work. I should get some done before tomorrow, anyway."

A small smile played on Hermione's lips. "Oh, so that you won't have anything to distract you from your weekly walk with Luna, right?"

Every Sunday for a couple of months now Harry had spent with Luna. They went on walks and just talked about whatever was on their minds at the moment. His two best friends didn't know this, but that was part of the reason he was not as volatile this year. He emptied his frustration, anger, and sorrow on Luna and was able to face the rest of the week with a cheerier disposition. It was a cycle that helped him regain some sort of sanity. He was still prone to moodiness, but he tried to keep this at bay while with his best friends. At times like these, he didn't want to have his last words to them be something he would regret. He decided to start living each day as if it was his last, learning to enjoy the small blessings in each day (as much as he could, anyway). He had learned this from Luna. Without answering Hermione, he smiled to himself as he ran up to his room to grab his Transfiguration book, ink, a quill, and some parchment.

When he returned, he laid out his work and started in on his essay. The three worked in silence, interrupted only by the occasional sigh from Hermione whenever she caught Ron taking a peak at her essay. They didn't stop until Ron stood up about an hour and a half later.

"My stomach tells me it's about time for lunch."

Hermione looked up at him with a slightly amused expression. "Ron, sometimes I think we could set our watches to your stomach."

Harry glanced at his wristwatch and laughed. Surely enough, it was almost noon. Ron was always willing to eat, but Harry was always amazed that he could tell what time of day if was just by how hungry he felt. The three packed up their work and then headed down to lunch. They were joined by Ginny and Dean in the entrance hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table with Seamus and Neville.

Feeling ravenous, Harry loaded his plate with any food within arms reach and dug in. After a couple of mintutes of eating that would have made Ron proud, he poured some pumpkin juice into his goblet and chanced a glance at the Ravenclaw table. Right away, he noticed Luna carefully eating while she read a book. Her long blonde hair was pulled into two buns behind her ears, secured by blue ribbons that hung to her shoulders. Her large eyes were focused on the book propped against an extra goblet, the cover a deep purple with brilliant silver writing scrolled on the binding. Her large eyes, with the sunlight catching them so they looked even brighter than they normally were. Her large eyes, which were now looking right at him...

Not knowing what else to do, Harry quickly lifted his hand to wave to her. She smiled as she waved back and then continued reading. _Great._ Harry thought. _She most likely thinks I'm a nutter, staring at her while she eats her lunch. Of course, this is Luna we are talking about. She wouldn't think of me as a nutter even if I danced around in the rain wearing nothing but my knickers. Hey, I bet she's even done that herself! Oh, for Merlin's sake, I really am a nutter, thinking of Luna in her underwear in the rain. _

"Harry? HARRY! Have you been listening to a word I've said?" Snapped out of his reverie, Harry turned to Ginny, who was now staring disapprovingly at him with one eyebrow raised.

"Of course I was. Heard every word" he lied.

"Rubbish! I saw you staring at Looney. I was about to tell you to wipe the drool from your chin!" Ron interrupted, eyeing Harry with a look of pure confusion.

Ginny glared at Ron from across the table. "Ron, Luna happens to be a wonderful person and a very good friend of mine. If I hear you call her Looney one more time, I'll hex you to the point that Dumbledore himself could not fix you. I spent loads of time with Fred and George over the holiday, so you know I could!"

Ron snorted at this. "You couldn't hex your way out of a paper bag!"

"Just try me, Ronald Weasley!"

"Maybe I will _ickle Ginny-winny-kins_!"

"WILL THE TWO OF YOU JUST KNOCK IT OFF!" Hermione shouted as she stood up. "As a prefect, I must insist that the two of you stop this quarreling at once before you can no longer control your actions. Honestly Ron, you need to set a better example as a prefect!"

Ron stood as well, his ears starting to get red. "Listen Hermione, this is between my bratty little sister and me. Don't start bringing up all that prefect rubbish now!"

The two glared at each other for a few seconds, and then sat down grumpily. Trying not to look at eachother, they finished their lunch in silence. Harry just sighed to himself. His two best friends, both completely off their rockers.

After lunch, they went back to Gryffindor tower and finished up their work. Hermione smiled to herself as she sat in an armchair, stroking a sleeping Crookshanks, watching them put the finishing touches on their essays.

"See? Now you don't have to stay up until all hours doing work tomorrow night. You'll enjoy your Sunday much more now."

"Especially since we wasted Saturday" Ron said under his breath. Hermione didn't seem to hear this because she picked up Crookshanks and sat down next to Ron to look over his essay, making sure he spelled everything correctly. She finished his and then read Harry's before it was time for dinner.

After dinner, they spent the evening playing chess until Hermione stood up and announced she was going to bed. Harry yawned. "I think I'll head up, too."

"Yea", said Ron sarcastically. "Got to rest up for your big day with Luna."

Harry tossed a pillow at his friend before running up the stairs and jumping into his four-poster bed. When he had changed and gotten into bed, he couldn't help but smile to himself as he thought of the next day.

**A/N: Please review to let me know what you think so far. I will love you forever. **


	3. Chapter Three

**A/N: I own a cat named Harry Potter and that's about it. **

**Thanks to all those who reviewed. You don't know howhappy you make me! On with the story....**

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Harry awoke the next day with butterflies in his stomach. It was still pretty early, but he got out of bed, dressed, and headed to the common room. Not to his surprise, Hermione was already up and working on an essay for Potions that was due on Tuesday.

"Morning, Hermione."

"Good morning, Harry. You're up early. Excited about your day with Luna?" Hermione asked, trying her hardest not to smile.

"Sure... We always have a good time. Not a big deal. Why... do I seem excited? Because I'm not. I mean, I am, but it doesn't matter--" Harry stammered before he was interuppted by Hermione.

"Harry! Relax, don't get so worked up. I know it's just like every other Sunday. I just can't help but feel... nevermind."

Harry raised his eyebrow. "Can't help but feel what?"

"Oh, nothing. It's nice to see you getting along so much with her. Don't know if I could spend a whole day alone with her myself, but you two do make quite a nice pair." Harry stared at Hermione in shock.

"Pair? What are you getting at? Luna's not my girlfriend, Hermione" he said.

"I know! I wasn't saying that at all! You're just friends, I was only saying...."

"Friends. We are JUST friends! Nothing more, Hermione. Like the two of us, only she doesn't feel the need to nag me to no end." As soon as Harry said this, he knew he had gone too far. A hurt look crossed Hermione's face and Harry felt the guilt well up inside of him.

"I just care about you, Harry. And Ron. I don't do it to be a pest. I might nag you at times, but I help you more. So before you take one of your moods out on me..." Harry cut in before she could finish.

"You're right, Hermione. Shouldn't have snapped at you like that. Sorry."

"It's alright. I just know from now on that Luna is a touchy subject." She said, returning to her essay.

"It's not touchy! Talk about her all you want!" He sighed. "I'm going down to breakfast."

Without waiting for her, he stood up and climbed through the portrait hole. He didn't feel all that hungry, but there was no where else he could think to go other than the Great Hall. When he arrived, the tables were sparesly filled since most students slept in on Sundays. He sat at the Gryffindor table, grabbed a piece of toast and some blackcurrant jam, and started to eat. Two bites into his toast, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned around to find Luna standing behind him. Her hair was pulled into a very messy bun on the top of her head.

"Hello, Harry. You're up rather early."

"Morning, Luna. It's not that early, I was just .. um... starving" he said, mentally kicking himself. How could he look starving when he was nibbling on a single piece of toast? "You're up early as well."

"No, actually, I always wake up early, no sense in wasting the day sleeping in bed. Morning is such a beautiful time of day, I would hate to miss it. Daddy always said that morning was a chance to see the world at it's best, to capture the very essence of life."

"Guess Ron and I have missed out on most of the essence of life." _How can you make a joke when she told you something so nice? What a prat. _Harry cringed at his attempt at humor.

Luna didn't seem to notice because she just nodded and stood there staring at him. A second or two went by before Harry finally got the hint.

"Luna! Care to sit and join me?"

She smiled at him dreamily. "That would be lovely, thank you Harry."

She sat next to him, placing the book she had been reading the day before next to her plate. As she poured some juice into a goblet, Harry picked up the book and opened it. He turned the pages and was astonished to find that not one word was written in any language he recognized.

"Hey, Luna. This book... what language is it written in?"

Luna looked up from her eggs. "Well, those are runes, you know. Ever since 3rd year I have been fascinated with Ancient Runes. My father gave it to me for Christmas. He received it when he was in Egypt researching a story. It's a beautiful tale of love and adventure."

Whatever the story was about, Harry had no idea. He put the book down and started to add more food to his plate. He was starting to get his appetite back. The two ate in silence for a few minutes until Luna turned to look at him.

"Harry, I thought of something wonderful for us to do today. I got the idea from the Quibbler and I've been wanting to do it for weeks. You can help me!"

Harry smiled at the excitement in her eyes. "Sure, whatever you want Luna. I'll just need to get my cloak if we're going outside. It seems pretty cold today." He looked up as Ron and Hermione sat across from them. "Morning mate. Luna" Ron said to him. Hermione just smiled at them and poured some pumpkin juice into her goblet.

"Good morning Ronald, Hermione. Pardon my running off, I just need to run up to my room to grab a few things. I'll meet you in the entrance hall in 15 minutes, Harry." Once she left, Harry stood as well. He saw the look on their faces. Hermione had probably told Ron all about his fit earlier. He didn't want to talk about it just yet. "I have to go up to my room and grab my cloak, maybe a scarf. I'll catch up with you two later."

Before they could protest, he walked out of the Great Hall and made his way to Gryffindor Tower.

Fifteen minutes later, he was in the Entrance Hall waiting for Luna. When he saw her coming, he couldn't help but smile. She was carrying a rather large box, and seemed to be struggling. He ran up to her and took the box from her hands.

"Thanks, Harry. It was rather heavy." She said dreamily, as if she had just noticed she was even holding a box. "And now, off to the lake!"

The two left the castle and started on the path down to the lake. The cool winter air whipped around them. Harry looked at Luna and noticed how pretty she looked when the wind picked up the loose strands of hair around her face. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold air. He had to hand it to her. She really wasn't bad looking, he actually found her attractive. _Or, I suppose she would be attractive. To some people. Not me. Not attracted. Nope. Not at all. _

So as not to appear to be a nutter for staring at her, he looked into the box he was carrying. There were many objects that caught the light: glass beads, mirrors, tin foil. Several smaller boxes, all painted bright colors, and what appeared to be potpourri were at the very bottom. Before he could ask what all this was for, Luna spoke.

"How have you been feeling lately, Harry? Have you had anymore of those dreams?"

There was no way he could tell her that he had seen her and her father die at the hands of Voldemort. "Nope", he lied.

"That's good to hear. I must say, you have been less moody over the past month or so. When you first got back to school, I didn't think you were always that nice, you know. I'm glad we've been spending loads of time together because I know that there's more to you than meets the eye. Kind of like ramamugs. They appear to be a flower, much like an ordinary daisy, but if you uproot it you find a larger creature living underneath the surface. That's what you are Harry. If one doesn't take the time to know you, they might miss out on truly knowing who you really are."

"Well, thank you for taking the time to get to know me."

They stopped walking and stood there just looking at eachother. She raised her hand and gently wiped the hair from his eyes. "Thank you for letting me in." She smiled and took the box from his hands and placed it on the ground.

Harry looked around, they were pretty close to the lake now. They were standing in front of a bush about the height of Luna. Looking at the shrubbery with exitement, she asked "Ready?"

Harry still had no idea what they were up to. "Ready for what?"

"Well, I got this idea from the Quibbler. The full moon will be coming in a couple of weeks and I thought we could set up some traps early. A wonderful creature comes out when the moon is full and I want to see if we could catch one."

Harry's heart started to pound. "Luna, what creature besides a werewolf comes out on the full moon?"

"Why, Moon Sprites, of course."

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A/N: You know the drill, read and review! It just makes me write and update faster and faster!**


	4. Chapter Four

**Still don't own Harry. **

**Thanks to the reviewers, keep it up! Makes me the happiest person ever! If you haven't reviewed yet, please do! **

**Here's the next chapter...**

"Moon Sprites?" he asked, hoping slightly he had heard wrong.

Harry's heart was beating out of his chest. Did he hear correctly? Maybe it was just a coincidence. Maybe she told him about all this when she first read the article and it had just appeared arbitrarily in his dream.

"Yes. They are somewhat like a common Garden Fairy, except they only come out during the night. Thing is, they love light. When the moon is full and the sky is cloudless is when the night is the brightest. They are hardly ever spotted unless there is a full moon. To attract them, you are supposed to go into your garden and put out as many things that will catch the light as you can. You also place boxes around filled with potpourri. Moon sprites love sweet smells, hence the reason they are attracted to the garden. The idea is they will sit in the box and maybe fall asleep as dawn approaches. Then in the morning, you might be able to get an up-close look at them."

Harry had an idea. "Oh, now that you mention it, I remember you talking about this article. Didn't you tell me all about them when that edition of the Quibbler came out?"

"I don't think so. I've been so busy doing work for my O.W.L.S. that I don't think I thought to tell you. No, I would have to say I definately did not tell you about Moon Sprites. Are you alright, Harry? Something seems to be bothering you."

Harry tried his best to avoid her piercing stare. He pretended to be very interested in the contents of the box and pulled out what appeared to be a broken silver watch. "I'm fine, Luna. Do I just, erm, hang this stuff on the branches of this bush, then?"

"Yes, that would be prefect." She walked up to him and stood about an inch from him. She took his hands in hers and looked deep into his eyes. "Harry, you would tell me if anything was wrong, wouldn't you? You know you can always trust me as a friend and tell me whatever is on your mind, don't you?"

Lying to her was like ripping his own heart out. Luna was much smarter than most people gave her credit for. She was very tuned into people's emotions. There was nothing else he could do, even if she would know he was lying.

"Luna, you are one of my dearest friends. I have counted on you before, and I know I always can. I've always sought you out when I needed to talk. Why would I stop? Now, let's catch some Moon Sprites!"

One look into her eyes told him she was not entirely happy with this answer, but she let it go and started to decorate the bush with Harry.

About an hour and a half later, they took a step back and admired their work. Luna was absolutely glowing. "Now all we have to do is come back in a couple of weeks and see if we have caught any!"

Harry turned to her. "We still have little less than an hour until lunch. Want to walk around for a bit and then head up to the castle?"

"Sure! I wanted to talk to you about something that has been bothering me for a while, Harry. Maybe if I talk to you about it, it won't bother me as much."

"You can tell me anything, Luna. What's been bothering you?"

"Well, we are in the middle of War. I've just been very worried about Daddy. He's a well known man, you know, and has made it quite clear he is against You Know Who. He was even the first to publish that article about you and how You Know Who had come back. I can't help but worry that something terrible will happen to him. Harry, Daddy is my world. He's all I have left. Without him, I don't know what I would do."

Harry was surprised to see tears glistening in Luna's eyes. Luna wasn't one to cry, or so he always thought. He did the only thing he could think of that would make her feel better. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"Luna, your father will be fine. I just know he will be. Besides, if anything ever happened to him, your friends would take care of you. Me, and Ginny of course. You can count on us, no matter what."

"Oh, Harry. I know I can count on all of you. It's just... you are the only one that ever survived him. Maybe I am being ridiculous. I can't help but fear these times."

"No one could blame you for being frightened. You might not read the Daily Prophet, but I know you hear the reports of the attacks. I don't want you to worry anymore. Focus on something else, don't let those thoughts consume you."

She looked into Harry's eyes. If he could do anything to ensure that her deepest fears would never come true, he would do it in a heartbeat. He loved Luna. _Did I just think that? Love... Luna? Well, she is a friend. I do love Hermione, and she's my friend. Why does this feel different then?_ His thoughts were cut short when he felt Luna's arms around his neck, hugging him to the point he thought his air might be cut off.

"Harry, you are truly the most amazing friend I ever had." And with that, she kissed his cheek. Harry's heart almost stopped. He could not help but feel a bit of electricity pulse in the spot where he felt her kiss linger. Sure, Hermione had kissed him on the cheek before. But he hadn't felt like this. Harry sighed to himself. He was not ready to admit to himself that he was starting to have feelings for Luna. Feelings other than friendship.

She untangled herself from him and smiled. She started walking, one of her hands still grasping his. They walked in silence until they got to the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts. Many students were milling about, either entering or exiting the Great Hall.

"Well, Harry, it was a pleasure as always. I'll let you go now so you can have lunch with Ron and Hermione. You didn't get to really see them yet today. I might be going to the library later, so if you have any work maybe I will see you there."

Harry didn't want to leave her just yet. "We could have lunch together. Besides, I kind of took one of my moods out on Hermione this morning. She's most likely told Ron, and I don't feel much like bringing that up again."

"Harry, you should talk to you friends. Don't bottle things up. You might blow up one day. I think I remember this actually happening once. A woman in Scandinavia self-combusted from holding in all of her frustrations. Talk to them. Maybe they won't even bring it up."

Maybe she was right. They walked into the Great Hall. He saw that his friends were already there. With one last look at Luna, he waved and made his way to his table. Hermione and Ron looked as he sat across from them.

"Harry! I figured you'd be back around this time. We just sat down, I convinced Ron to do some of his potions essay with me!"

Harry smiled and fell into conversation with them. Not once did either of them mention that morning, which made Harry feel better. He would apologize to Hermione later, for now he just wanted to enjoy the good mood they were all in. He found his eyes drift several times to the Ravenclaw table, always stopping on a blonde girl reading a book. Every time he caught himself doing this, he looked at his plate and pretended to be very interested in his fork. His thoughts fell back to his dream. He felt unsettled whenever he thought of it. How much of a coincidence could that have been? He wondered if he should tell Ron and Hermione about it.

By the time the three of them left the hall for the Gryffindor common room, he knew he could no longer deny it. He liked Luna. And it was driving him crazy.


	5. Chapter Five

**A/N: Don't own Harry Potter... if only.**

**Sorry if this chapter is short, but I promise next chapter will be longer and more eventful. Once again, thanks to all the reviewers. PLEASE review!!!!**

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"Codswallop."

The painting of the Fat Lady swung open to let Harry, Hermione, and Ron into Gryffindor Tower. The common room was surprisingly empty for Sunday. The three made their way to the fireplace and cozied up to the heat of the flames in the closest armchairs.

Harry took a deep breath and started. "Hermione, I just wanted to apologize if I was a bit touchy this morning. You know I've been trying to work on that. Can't help it sometimes. Hope you're not too mad at me?"

A smile spread all over Hermione's face. "Oh, Harry. I know you're sorry. You really have been so much better about that this year. I just don't want you to fall back into the habit of moodiness."

"Tell me about it!" exclaimed Ron. "Remember last year? If I told you I liked your t-shirt, you'd tell me to bugger off. Whatever you do, don't go back to that."

Harry thought about Ron's words. It had been about seven months since the Department of Mysteries and he still hadn't told his friends about the prophecy. Harry thought that he was putting on a rather happy visage for someone who either had to kill Voldemort or die at his hands. His friends didn't know what plagued him deep inside, so he couldn't blame them for not understanding his sudden outbursts. He was about to change the subject when Hermione beat him to it.

"Did you have fun with Luna today, Harry?" she asked.

Ron answered for him. "What do you think? He spent the day with ..." he looked around to make sure Ginny wasn't in the room before he continued "Looney! She's off her rocker, that one. Harry should be made a saint for spending time with her to begin with."

"Honestly, Ron. Maybe Harry actually LIKES spending time with Luna. Not everyone is as thick as you are. You shouldn't speak of one's friends in such a manner. Maybe if you took the time to get to know her, you might like her, too."

Ron almost fell off his chair laughing. "Me? Spend time with Luna? You must be mad. Besides, you should be one to talk! I don't see you running off to have tea with her or anything. And I see how you look whenever she talks about one her nutty ideas."

Harry couldn't believe his ears. Were they really arguing over this? He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. These two really give me a headache sometimes he thought.

"For the record, Luna is a great person. It wouldn't hurt for either of you to give her a chance. I like spending time with her, so the case is closed. Let's talk about something else." Harry said, watching the flames dance on the logs.

"Bloody hell."

Harry turned to look at Ron, whose jaw was dropped and eyes round with terror.

"What?"

"You... you... like Luna?"

Harry was confused. "Yea, Ron. I just told you that."

Ron shook his head violently. "No, no, no. You like Luna. You LIKE Luna. You like Looney Lovegood more than a friend. I can't believe it."

Harry was shocked. Ronald Weasley, the boy who couldn't pick up on hints if they were spelled out for him in giant letters, had figured out that Harry had feelings for Luna. How was that possible?

"What are you talking about? What would make you say that?" Harry asked.

Laughter rang through the room. Harry was even more surprised to find that it was coming from Hermione.

"Oh, Harry. We've been guessing for weeks now. It is quite obvious there is something going on between you two. Luna's a nice girl, it would be a nice match."

Ron turned his gape from Harry to Hermione. "Have you lost it? Nice match? What are you doing to the boy? Harry, you want advice on essays, go to her. You want advice on girls, go to me. Don't go out with Luna Lovegood."

"First off, he never actually said he wanted to go out with Luna. Second, you can't possibly think that you are more tuned into the inner workings of a girl. You didn't even know I was a girl until fourth year! I repeat what I said last year: You have the emotional range of a teaspoon!"

"For your information, I am plenty emotional! And you don't need top-marks to know Luna is crazy! Don't go set Harry up with a wack-job! There are plenty of normal girls at Hogwarts that would be more than happy to go out with him!"

Harry did nothing but watch the fiasco that was in front of him. Both were now standing, noses almost touching. Ron's ears were starting to turn red and Hermione had on her famous scowl.

"Oh, there's a great idea! Set Harry up with a girl who only likes him because he's famous. Don't set him up with the girl who could care less that he's famous, but likes him for who he is. Honestly, Ronald Weasley! You make me so angry sometimes!"

"Oh, yea? Well... Hermione Granger! You make me SICK!"

And then something happened that Harry had not expected. They kissed. It was very quick; he would have missed it if he had blinked. But it happened. No one spoke for what felt like ages. Ron's jaw looked as if it would sag to the floor and Hermione opened and closed her mouth, as if trying to think of something to say. And then suddenly, Hermione turned on her heel, mumbled something about not being able to get any work done with such a racket, and climbed the stairs to the girls dormitory.

Ron was left standing, still gaping at the spot where Hermione had stood moments ago.

"What...... the...... bloody hell was that?" was all he could manage to say.

Harry was stunned. What was that? He knew his friends had a crush on one another... but that was just weird.

"Ron... did you kiss her? Or did she kiss you?"

"I... no, she... I don't know! It just... happened! But why?"

"Ron, you two fight all the time. I may not be a genius, but I think that's what you two do to hide the fact that you fancy eachother."

"Has everyone gone mental? Me? Fancy Hermione? RUBBISH!" Ron's face had turned a very harsh shade of red. "Harry, do you really think Hermione fancies me?"

"Get a clue, mate. It's completely obvious to everyone but... well, you. "

Ron looked at the ground and sunk into an armchair. "How come I'm the last to know about everything? Do you think she knows... I mean, thinks... I fancy her back?"

"That's obvious as well. I think the truth is you both know, but you're either too embarassed or too thick to admit it."

"Well, what do I do now? Things are going to be strange from now on. How can I even look at her, let alone talk to her?"

"Act normal, and then ask her to Hogsmeade.There's one the Saturday after next, around Valentine's Day."

"Ask her to Hogsmeade? Me? Clearly you don't know me, Harry. I can't ask a girl out, even if it is Hermione. Do you think she'd say yes?"

"Ron, I know she would say yes. So, are you saying you're going to ask her?" Harry asked hopefully.

Ron thought for a minute. " I guess I can't hide the fact that I'm crazy about her anymore. I just wish there was a better way... hey, Harry. I think I have an idea."

Harry didn't like the sound of that. Ron's ideas weren't always the most thought out. He waited to hear what Ron had to say.

"Why don't you ask Luna to Hogsmeade? That way Hermione and I have no choice but to spend the day together! It's perfect, I wouldn't even have to ask her so I wouldn't mess it up!"

"So you make me go through the awkwardness of asking someone out so you don't have to? Besides, Hermione would love to get asked out properly."

"Harry, please?!? You know I would get all weird and mess everything up. I would act like a giant goon! Just do it this one time! I promise at Hogsmeade I'll tell her and ask her out the proper way. Just... after that... kiss.... I... "

Harry sighed. Ron was right. He would blow it all by getting nervous and fumbling for words. He had no choice.

"Of course I'll do it for you. Don't worry." Ron let out a deep breath and started to relax.

"Excellent, mate. Fancy a game of chess?"

"Sure." And with that the two managed to spend a couple of hours not thinking of girls or homework.

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	6. Chapter Six

**A/N: Still don't own Harry... nope.**

**I have decided to start dedicating my chapters to whoever I wanted. So this chapter is dedicated to : Maiden-of-hope (Cole) Thanks for being the best reviewer ever and telling me what you think after each chapter! Makes me happy!**

**So please read and review! Hey, you might even get a dedication, too! Thanks! **

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Hermione didn't come down for dinner that night. Harry and Ron started to worry when she wasn't there to greet them in the common room the next morning.

"I wonder if she's alright." Harry wondered aloud.

"Of course she's not. She's going to avoid me for the rest of my life. So much for Hogsmeade." Ron said, looking at the ground.

Harry knew Hermione would come around eventually. "Come on, Ron. Let's just go down and have some breakfast. She won't miss class, we can talk to her then."

Fortunately, they didn't have to wait that long. Hermione was sitting at the Gryffindor table, carefully spreading some strawberry jam on a piece of toast.

"I was wondering when you two would show up." She said as she spooned some eggs onto her plate. Ron and Harry sat across from her, surprised at her nonchalant attitude.

"We missed you at dinner last night, Hermione" Harry said, cautiously.

"Oh! I know, but I got so caught up in all the work I was doing. I got so into it, I ended up falling asleep on one of my essays!" She took a sip from her goblet. "So, you two have Quidditch practice this afternoon?"

"Um, yea. Hermione, you okay?" Harry asked before he took a bite into a sausage.

"Couldn't be better! What would be wrong with me?"

"Well, yesterday…" Harry said, eyeing Ron, who was trying his best not to make eye contact with her.

"What about it?" She said, looking from one to the other. "You two are always… paranoid."

They all ate in silence for a while, until Ginny came to the table and sat down next to Hermione. Ron finally spoke for the first time that morning.

"Where've you been? Hey, why do you look like you're about to cry?" he asked her.

Ginny slowly poured some juice into a goblet. "Oh, nothing… except that Dean and I broke up."

Hermione turned quickly and looked consolingly at her. "Oh, Ginny. I'm so sorry! When?"

"Well, yesterday we had a long talk. We decided to call it quits. I know it's for the best, it's just always hard to break up with someone."

Ron let out a whoop. "Ha! I never liked you going out with Dean! Why don't you just stay single for, oh, a year… or maybe even five?"

"Ron! That's the most insensitive thing you could possibly say! And don't be so overprotective; your sister is a bright, young woman who can date whoever she wants!" Hermione said.

"Woman?" Ron said exasperated. "She is not a woman, she's my little sister. And I'm only saying she could do better."

"Ron, Dean is a friend of yours and a good person. No one will ever be right for her according to you. Well, I think you should let Ginny choose who is and who isn't right for her."

Despite the fact that his friends were fighting, Harry couldn't help but smile. He felt much better knowing that things were going back to normal between them. He didn't know why Hermione was choosing to act as if nothing happened, but then again he didn't understand loads of things she did.

"Alright, alright. Let's wrap this up, we have Transfiguration in a half hour and I don't want to be held up by the two of you squabbling." Harry said, attempting to lighter the mood.

The two stopped midsentence, looked at Harry, and shut their mouths. Soon enough, they were getting their things and going to their first class.

Between classes, Quidditch practice, and homework, Harry had found no free time to really talk to Luna. By the time the weekend rolled around, he was exhausted. Friday night, while eating dinner, he felt a soft tap on his left shoulder.

"Hello, Harry. " He didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"Hi, Luna. How has your week been?" He moved over so she could take a seat next to him.

"That's kind of what I needed to talk to you about. I am afraid that we got loads of homework, especially from Snape. So much in fact, that I don't think I will be able to spend time with you on Sunday."

Harry's heart sank. He always looked forward to Sundays now that they had started making that the day they spent together.

"I understand, Luna. Your school work should come first. Hey, I was wondering..." He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville looking at them. "Um... can we go into the entrance hall for a moment?"

She smiled, nodded, and got up. They both walked out of the Great Hall and stood near the Grand Staircase.

No one was around, so Harry knew it would be safe to continue. "Listen, Luna. I was wondering, next Saturday is a Hogsmeade day. Would you... um... well, would you like to go with me?" He was certain she would say yes, but he couldn't but feel a little nervous.

Luna blinked and thought for a second. "To Hogsmeade? Just the two of us?"

"Yep. Kind of, like... a date...?"

She stared at him for what felt like an eternity. "A date? Harry, I had no idea you felt that way for me."

His heart started pounding as his stomach did a somersault. Was she going to say no?

"Oh, well... I understand if you..."

But before he could finish, she smiled widely. "Oh, Harry, of course I'll go with you to Hogsmeade! I'm so glad you asked me! We'll talk about the details as the day approaches. For now, I have a Divination essay that is waiting for me upstairs. Good night."

She gave him a big hug and turned to walk up the stairs. He watched her go. When she was out of sight, he decided he couldn't contain himself. He jumped up and down wearing the biggest smile he'd had in a long time. He turned to walk back to dinner, when he stopped. He saw the last person he wanted to see at that moment.

"Practicing your ballet moves, Potter?" Malfoy asked, with a huge grin on his face.

"Bugger off, Malfoy."

"Hmmm... I see you were talking to someone. I believe you left the hall with that nut Loony."

"Shut it, Malfoy. I'm warning you." Harry said with clenched teeth.

"Warning me? You do know I am a prefect. You should learn to respect those with authority, Potter."

"You should learn to stop being a prat."

Both grabbed their wands, they heard a voice from the doors of the Great Hall.

"Potter! Malfoy! What in the world is the meaning of this?"

They turned to see Professor McGonagall. "Both of you, back into the Great Hall at once. Ten points from both of you." Without another word, the two of them walked back to their tables.

"Where were you?" asked Neville.

"Well, I was talking to Luna. She left, and Malfoy showed up as I was about to come back in."

Hermione looked worried. "What happened?"

"Nothing. We exchanged some words, but McGonagall showed up before anything happened. She took 10 points from both of us, though." said Harry.

He turned to Ron. He whispered so that no one else could hear him. "I asked her, and she said yes."

Ron gave Harry a huge smile, whispered "Thanks, mate" and they both turned to the conversation Hermione and Neville were having about a rare flower said to only grow in the Amazon.

On the walk back to the common room, Ron froze and grabbed Harry by the arm. He pulled him aside and waited for the rest to pass them. "Harry, I've just been thinking. Now that Ginny and Dean broke up, and Luna is going to Hogsmeade with you, Ginny is going to ask to spend the day with us! She'll ruin everything. Figures the one time I want her to have a date, she doesn't."

Harry hadn't thought of this. "Relax. We still have a week. We'll think of something. Ask her when Hermione is not around and see if she has any plans. If she says she was thinking of spending the day with you, then we'll come up with a plan. Nothing will get in the way of your day, I promise."

When they got to the Fat Lady's portrait, they stopped. They hid behind the corner and turned their ears to listen to the two people who were standing and talking in front of the painting.

"So you see, I was just thinking that, since you have no plans, maybe you would want to spend the day in Hogsmeade with me? I know you're getting over your break-up with Dean, I just thought it might cheer you up to not be alone the day before Valentine's Day."

"Neville, I would really like that. That's so sweet of you to ask me. I would love to." They waited for a minute. They didn't hear Ginny's or Neville's voices, so they walked up to the painting.

"Brilliant! I guess that solves that problem." Ron said happily. They spoke the password and went into Gryffindor Tower, hoping that Hermione wasn't waiting to tell them to do some homework before they went to sleep.

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Please please please review! I haven't gotten any new reviewers in a while and I'm starting to get discouraged! It really only takes a minute, so if you can it would REALLY make me happy. I know, begging is really not flattering, but I don't know what else to do! 


	7. Chapter Seven

**A/N: Don't own Harry Potter.**

**This chapter is dedicated to TARABLACK12! What can I say? You're always so excited to read what I have to say next and reviewed a bunch of times. Oh, yea and this is "your chapter" because I decided to put you in it. Your character's last name is a tribute to Mikey. **

**So, on with the story!**

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"There you two are! I turned around and both of you were gone!" Hermione said from across the common room. "Guess what I just heard! Neville asked Ginny to go to Hogsmeade! Isn't that wonderful?"

Smiling quickly at Ron, Harry turned to Hermione. "Wow, that's great! I'm happy for them."

Hermione was glowing. "I know! It really is adorable. Well, then I guess it's just going to be the three of us then."

Ron and Harry looked at eachother. From the look in Ron's face, Harry knew he wanted him to tell Hermione about Luna.

"Oh, about that. The reason I left the Great Hall tonight was to ask Luna if she would go to Hogsmeade with me. And she said yes! So, I'm afraid I won't be able to go with you two."

Hermione looked slightly disappointed. "Oh, well, good for you Harry! You two will have a great time. Looks like it's just you and me, Ron."

"Looks that way" said Ron. And sure enough they heard something they were hoping they wouldn't.

"We should use tonight to get a head start on some of our work. I'm going to go grab my Ancient Runes books." Before either of them could protest, Hermione disappeared up the stairs.

Sighing, Ron and Harry went up to their dormitory and grabbed their Transfiguration books. Maybe if they humored her for the night, they could avoid doing work the next day.

The weekend passed slowly; a blur of essays, chess, and Exploding Snaps. Harry found it hard to concentrate the whole week. His mind kept travelling to Saturday and the Hogsmeade trip. He couldn't help but think back to the disaster that was his last date in Hogsmeade. He was hoping this time would go much better than that fiasco with Cho. What was more, Tuesday morning Ron got an owl from George telling them there would be a big surprise in Hogsmeade that weekend. That made him anticipate the day even more, hoping that it wasn't something the twins had decided to add to Harry's date. Before he knew it, he was waking up with butterflies in his stomach. The day had arrived.

He sat up in bed and was shocked to find everyone was already up and out of the dormitory. He was even more shocked to see Ron sitting across the room on his bed, staring blankly out the window.

"You okay, Ron?" Harry asked, bringing him out of his daze. Ron snapped his head around, startled to hear his voice.

"Oh! How long you been up?"

"Just a minute. Looks like a nice day, huh?"

Ron looked back out the window. The sky was a brilliant shade of light blue, the sun was shining brightly, and there were few clouds in the sky. If it wasn't the middle of winter, it would have been the perfect spring day.

"Yea, it's okay. I'm so nervous about today, Harry. I know I'm going to get tongue-tied and make a fool of myself " Ron said, staring at his blanket.

"Don't worry! Just relax, act normal... as much as you can, anyway. I know you're gonna be nervous. Just do the best you can. You'll be fine."

Ron sighed heavily. Harry crossed his fingers and silently hoped that everything would go right for Ron. "Well, we better get ready."The two dressed and went down into the common room.

"Well, I'm going down to meet Luna now. Good luck with today."

Ron gave Harry a weak smile. "Thanks, mate. See you later." Harry climbed out of the portrait hole and made his way down to the entrance hall. He looked for Luna as he made his way down the last staircase and froze. She was standing across the hall, looking at a painting. He had never seen anyone look so beautiful in such a casual way. Her long, wavy hair was down; the hair around her face pulled back and secured with a barette. She was wearing a denim skirt that fell a couple of inches above the knees, black stockings, and black boots. He noticed she had changed the laces today to match her shirt, which was dark pink. That infamous bottlecap necklace was replaced by a silver chain with a small stone pendant. She looked away from the painting and noticed Harry watching her. She smiled and waved for him to come join her.

"This is a portrait of Rowena Ravenclaw. She reminds me of my mother in a strange way." Luna said to him.

Harry looked at the portrait. He was surprised to see Rowena and Luna actually did look similar. He assumed that Luna must look like her mother then. Rowena was sitting on a red, velvet chair and smiling gently at them. Her hair was lighter than Luna's, much longer, but the same wavy texture. Her eyes were a piercing blue color. Her skin was a flawless creamy color, much like Luna's, and both had the same smile.

"Luna, was your mother in Ravenclaw when she went to Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

"Of course! Her side of the family were all Ravenclaws. My dad's family varied, never in Slytherin, of course. But my mother's family prided themselves on knowledge and cleverness. Daddy said she would have been so proud when he found out I was placed in Ravenclaw."

Harry saw sadness flicker in her eyes. He took her hand put his other under her chin. "She _is_ proud of you, Luna. I'm sure she watches you everyday. Want to head off now?"

She smiled sadly at him. "Yea, let's go."

When they got into Hogsmeade, they saw a large crowd gathered around one of the shops. They looked quizzically at eachother. Harry had a gut feeling it had something to do with the Weasley twins. They got closer and looked at the sign on the window. In big, gold letters were the words: Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. A banner was hanging above the door with the words 'Grand Opening' in red letters. Harry smiled. He took Luna's hand so they wouldn't get separated and went inside the shop.

They weaved their way through students admiring the merchandise and went to the counter at the back of the store. A young, pretty witch was standing there. She had very long, very curly auburn hair and big hazel eyes. When she saw them, she gave them a huge smile. "Why, top o' the mornin' to ya! Have a good look around?" she said in a heavy Irish accent.

"The shop is brilliant! Um... I'm a friend of the Weasley's. Is Fred or George here?" he asked.

"George is. I'll call him for ya. GEORGE?" she said into the back of the store. George emerged, carrying a large box. The minute he saw Harry, he put the box down and walked over to him.

"Harry! Nice of you to come to our fine establishment! Old man Zonko told us he was thinking of retiring, so Fred and I decided to expand." he said.

"Where's Fred?" Harry asked.

"Well, Fred is at our shop in Diagon Alley holding things down there. You know, Angelina works there, too. I know I shouldn't tell you this, but he's going to propose to her any day now. Try to act surprised when he tells you, and don't tell Mum, okay?"

He turned to the girl at the counter. "This boy is as good as my brother! Harry, this is Tara Murphy. Tara, this is Harry Potter." The two shook hands.

"Wow, a pleasure to meet ya, Harry." She said.

"Same here." he said. So as not to be rude, he added "And this is Luna. Luna Lovegood."

The girls shook hands as George turned to Harry. "Where the bloody hell are my brother and sister? Didn't they come with you?"

Harry knew he couldn't tell George about Ron's "date". He would definately do something to embarass Ron. Harry decided to leave that part out. "Well, Luna and I are here together and Neville and Ginny are here together. We all went our separate ways, so we won't probably see eachother most of the day. I'm sure Ron and Hermione will be here at some point. Hard to miss, really.'

George smiled. "Well, just in case, I've thought of something that I'm sure will make certain not one person misses the Grand Opening." Harry knew that mishevious look all too well. George picked up the box he was carrying and motioned for Harry and Luna to follow him. Harry and Luna waved good-bye to Tara and the three made their way out of the shop and stood outside the entrance.

"Isn't Tara a looker?" George asked as he fumbled with the contents of the box.

"Erm... yea, she's pretty." Harry said.

"I've been thinking of asking her out. You know, she's been helping me put this store together for a couple of weeks now. I met her in London, she was in the Diagon Alley store. She told me about how she was new to England, needed a job and a place to stay and stuff. I told her that I would hire her if she wouldn't mind working in Hogsmeade. I really like her. Plus, with Fred getting engaged and all I need to start stepping up in the lady department." George pulled a handfull of what looked like large, dark blue gumdrops from the box. He handed one to Harry, one to Luna, and pulled out his wand.

"What are these?" Harry asked.

"These are special fireworks. I bewitched them this morning so that when they explode, they'll display whatever I want. What you do is you hold them in your hand, mutter a simple spell and then throw them straight up into the air. They gather momentum and then shoot to the sky and explode. You don't have to throw them very hard, they'll get up there. It's just important that you aim them up. They shoot the direction you throw them, and we wouldn't want to go blowing up all of Hogwarts, would we?" Harry was about to disagree, because as George said this he caught a glimpse of Malfoy entering Honeydukes down the street.

"Well, ready to get the fun started?" George asked. "Now, once they turn purple, just toss them lightly up. They'll do the rest themselves. Put your hands close together, I can set them both off at the same time." Harry and Luna did so, George muttered the word "Ignatio" at their fireworks and then again quickly at his. They turned a light shade of purple, and they tossed them. As soon as they did, the fireworks shot up. Anyone in front of the shop looked up as they heard a whizzing sound. Then, a loud CRACK was heard as the fireworks exploded. One spelled out the words Grand Opening in huge letters and shimmered in place. One showered glittering streamers down that disappeared as soon as they reached the ground. The other made large silver stars that twinkled and whirled around the sky.

Many students came rushing to the store to see what all the noise was about. Everyone was looking up, talking excidedly as George let off another round. Harry waved good-bye to George, wanting to get away from the chaos before he ran into Ron and Hermione. He had a feeling Hermione would suggest they all go get lunch, and he knew that would make Ron upset. He took Luna's hand and led her away from the store. The other shops were still sort of busy, but most students had gone to see the festivities. They were able to get a table by the window at the Three Broomsticks without trouble.

They both ordered the lunch special, a hot ham and cheese sandwich with chips, and a butterbeer. Harry watched Luna as she sipped her drink, admiring the way the light from the window illuminated her face. His eyes were drawn to her necklace and the unusual stone pendant. The stone was smooth and shiny. It was a white pearl color, with deep blue swirls. As Harry watched, the swirls moved as if they were alive, flowing like being caught in a light breeze.

"Luna, what is that stone? I've never seen anything like it."

She looked down at her necklace and brushed her fingers against it. "It was my mother's. It's my namesake, you know. Lunasaxulum, very rare. It's Latin, you know. Roughly translated it means 'a little Moon rock'. My mother loved this necklace, and she left it to me when she died. I only wear it on special occasions."

This made Harry smile. _She thinks this is a special occasion, special enough to wear a necklace that means something to her._

"I was a little amazed that you asked me out, Harry. But I dare say I am glad you did."

"Well, I dare say I'm glad you said yes. Why would you be amazed that I asked you out?"

"I don't get asked out much. I never do, actually. And I don't usually fill my head with nonsense that other girls do. Such as crushes and good looking boys. But you ruined all that. I've had a crush on you for months now."

Harry's heart was pounding. Luna didn't hold anything back, did she? She wasn't embarrassed to be sharing this information with Harry. She spoke of her feelings like she spoke of the weather. He liked that about her.

"Well, I.. um... well. I guess I have had.. um.. I like you, too." Harry could feel the heat rising in his face. He might be the Boy-Who-Lived, but he didn't have such an easy time talking so freely about his feelings.

The rest of lunch was filled with talk about how school was going, who they thought the next winner of the Quidditch World Cup would be, and whether or not Snape actually washed his hair. They went to Honeydukes and got some candy, before deciding to get candied apples and take a walk. They ended up sitting under a tree by a pond off the main road.

They were laughing at a funny story Luna had read somewhere. Harry noticed they were sitting very close... he could smell her shampoo... and her smile was so bright... Now they were just leaning against the tree, shoulders touching. She turned her head as he lowered his... he leaned in to kiss her.

And he did. Their lips touched, sending sparks down his spine. He could still taste the caramel from the candied apples on her lips. He felt one her hands slide behind his head, touching his hair. As the kiss deepened, he took his hand and placed it on her face. They kissed for what felt like hours. She was the one who finally broke away. She pulled her face back and just stared into his eyes. They said nothing for a few seconds.

She smiled and stood up. "Well, I think it's time we get back. The sun will be setting soon." She reached out one of her hands to help him up. He took it, and they both walked hand in hand back to Hogwarts. As they entered the Entrance Hall, they stopped when they heard two people talking down one of the corridors. The voices were very familiar.

"What are you getting at, Ron?"

"Well, Hermione, I have a confession to make. Today was planned."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I really like you, Hermione. But, I knew if I asked you out, I would have made a fool of myself all day. So, I had Harry ask Luna out. Luckily, Neville asked Ginny, so we were able to spend the day together. Alone. With as little chance of me messing things up as I could. But I don't want to hide it anymore. I think I'm in love with you, Mione."

Harry smiled to himself. _Finally! _he thought. He turned to look at Luna, and was surprised to see she was staring at him with a funny look on her face. _Oh no. She heard Ron tell Hermione that I asked her out to give the two of them the day alone._

He opened his mouth to explain, but her face glazed over dreamily. "Well, Harry. Today was very enjoyable, but I do have loads of homework that needs to be done. I'll see you around."

Before he could say anything, she walked away quickly and made her way up the stairs to her common room. Harry slumped against a wall and closed his eyes. _Great. Somehow, Ron had managed to ruin Harry's date instead of his own._ Feeling like a prat and angry at Ron's big mouth, Harry made his way up to Gryffindor Tower.

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Wanna know what happens next? Read and review! 


	8. Chapter Eight

**A/N: I own Harry Potter! I am actually working on the 7th book as we speak! I am also extremely sarcastic!**

**This chapter is dedicated to GinnyWeazly21! You are the first to read every chapter, listen to my ideas, and you've given me some brilliant ideas. Thank you for being as obsessed with Harry as I am. Ah, if only you would see the light and become a H/L shipper instead of H/G, it's okay, I still love you despite your imperfections: )**

**Away we go!**

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Harry paced the common room of Gryffindor Tower. Everyone was still in Hogsmeade or enjoying the uncommonly nice day on the grounds. He was absolutely furious. He really liked Luna, and he was hoping he would be able to explain everything to her. Nothing in his life worked out. All the simple things that people take for granted were taken away before he was able to appreciate them. His parents, his godfather, a normal life out of the spotlife. And now this one chance he had to maybe finally feel what it felt like to love someone was in jeopardy.

His blood was boiling to the point that he wanted to throw anything he could find against a wall. _Just wait_, he thought. _The minute I see Ron..._

"Hey, Harry! How'd it go then"

Harry narrowed his eyes. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was entering the portrait hole. He turned around to see a glowing Ron holding Hermione's hand.

"Oh, it went plain peachy until we came back to the castle. Then we heard your big mouth tell Hermione that I only asked Luna out because you wanted me to. And then she walked away from me without giving me the chance to explain! So I guess you could say it didn't go well at all" The heat was rising in his face so fast he felt like he would scream. He was glaring at Ron to the point that Hermione ran over to Harry and directed his eyes into her face.

"Harry, calm down. Sit. It was an accident, you can't go yelling at Ron like that."

"Oh, so now that he's your bloody boyfriend you're going to stick up for him instead of me! Well, let me tell you something, Hermione..."

"Harry! Don't you dare yell at me. I'm only trying to help you! Now just calm down! Take a deep breath and let's get to the bottom of this."

Harry sat down and put his face in his hands. "Luna thinks I only asked her out today because of you and Ron."

"Okay", she said sitting on the table in front of him. "Well, did you explain to her that that wasn't the whole truth"

"I just told you I didn't get a chance to" Harry snapped.

"Okay, I was just double checking" Hermione said softly. "Now, I am absolutely positive that you can explain this to her. Luna has to know that you like her, it was pretty obvious. Before you blow up, why don't you give it a chance? Dinner will be soon, you can try then. Alright" She squeezed his shoulder and looked for his affirmation.

He looked up at her. "Alright. Thanks, Hermione."

Ron, who hadn't moved since Harry's outburst, shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "I'm sorry, mate. I didn't "

"No, no. Don't apologize. I just don't want to lose her, too." Hary said quietly.

Hermione and Ron looked at eachother. Ron sat down next to Harry and patted his shoulder. "You haven't lost her, Harry. She's going to understand. I would bet a hundred galleons on it."

But she wasn't at dinner that night. Harry's heart felt like it was somewhere by his feet. He spoke very little, feeling like a time bomb ready to explode. He desperately needed to see Luna, to talk to her.

He spotted her the next morning at breakfast. She looked tired and... sad. She just sat at the table, swirling a spoon lightly through her oatmeal, not eating a bite of it. Harry felt his heart drop. _Did I do this to her?_ he wondered. He didn't want to wait until after breakfast to talk to her. He got up and walked over to the Ravenclaw table. She didn't notice when he sat down next to her, until he lightly touched her shoulder.

She jumped slightly, but composed herself when she saw him. "Hello, Harry."

"Hey, Luna."

She looked down at her bowl and continued to play with the contents. He sat uncomfortably in silence for what felt like an hour before she looked up at him. Were those tears in her eyes?

"Luna, about yesterday. I, well, what Ron said wasn't entirely true. I..." But before he could finish Luna's face fell to her hands and she let out a sob. Several faces at the table turned to see what was wrong and looked directly at Harry. He put his hand on her back and patted it gently. When he did this, she shot up, grabbed his hand, and dragged him out of the Great Hall.

"What's wrong, Luna" Harry asked, his voice shaking.

"It's gone! It's gone, Harry! I was up all night looking for it" she said, her voice breaking. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably and she was pacing back and forth.

"What's gone, Luna"

"The necklace! My mother's necklace. Gone! I took it off last night when I got back from Hogsmeade, and when I came back from the library, it wasn't there! I asked everyone in Ravenclaw, and they all say they never saw it." Harry was starting to get dizzy from her pacing, so he pulled her into a hug and stroked her hair.

"Luna, calm down. We'll find it." His blood was boiling. Some rotten Ravenclaw had stolen something precious to her. That was going too far. Why did everyone have to pick on her for, anyway? What made them better than her? He fought the urge to run into the Great Hall yelling at the Ravenclaw table. Her crying had calmed down now, and she pulled away from him. He wiped a tear from her cheek and started to lean in to kiss that spot. Before his lips reached her cheek, she had taken a step back. Harry was slightly taken back by this.

"Harry..." but this time it was his turn to talk.

"Luna, Ron did want me to ask you out. But what he didn't know was that I had planned to anyway. You can ask Hermione. She said a while ago that she knew there was something between us. You have to believe me. I really like you, Luna. And... I just thought you should know."

Luna smiled sadly at him. "Harry, it's just... well, I know what people think of me. And I never ever listen to them. For awhile, I was feeling something growing between us. But when I heard Ron say that... it just brought up all the memories of people making fun of me. I believe in lots of things, but I didn't want to believe that you could be one of them. That you could hurt me. Something just hit me deep inside, and I just wanted to distance myself and think about it. It just made me think what I didn't want to think, is all."

"What's that"

"That a boy like you could never want anything to do with a girl like me."

He took a step closer to her. "A girl like you? Luna, you're one of the most amazing people I have ever met. I would have to be mad to pass you up."

And before she could say another word, he kissed her.

-

Harry made Luna go upstairs and take a nap after breakfast because she looked so exhausted. They had lunch together, but then Ginny asked Luna if she could help her with some homework. The two left, leaving Harry alone with Ron and Hermione.

"Well, I never asked what happened between you two yesterday. I'm guessing it went well" Harry asked.

Ron's face turned the color of beets, but Hermione just smiled. "It went better than great. I've been waiting a long time for Ron to realize what was right smack in front of him."

He saw Ron put his hand over Hermione's. He smiled to himself, thinking that despite the whole Voldemort thing, things were more or less the way they should be.

After lunch, they went back to the common room. He decided not to do his work with Ron and Hermione, but opted to see if he could still find Ginny and Luna and do some work with them.

Harry walked into the library, spotting Luna and Ginny at a table working on their homework. He took a seat at the table with them.

"Fancy meeting you here", he said with a grin as he took out his Transfiguration book.

They both looked up and smiled. "Hello, Harry" they said at once. Ginny sighed loudly. "Luna has been nice enough to help me with my astronomy charts. I just don't have the knack for it."

Harry smiled at Luna. She was looking through her notes for something. Slightly frustrated, she looked up at them. "I can't believe it. I've forgotten where the constellationMonoceros is! I didn't bring my book with me; I was so sure I wouldn't need it! How incredibly daft of me. I'll be right back." She got up from the table, but as she passed Harry's chair she gently brushed her fingers through his hair.

He smiled to himself and looked back at his book. "So, Ginny", he said. "You and Neville"

She looked at him through narrowed eyes. "What about it", she said skeptically." I didn't think you of all people would tease me about that, too."

"I'm not teasing you. I think very highly of Neville. I was just wondering how it all went."

Ginny smiled the biggest smile he had even seen on her face. "He really is such a wonderful person. He is the biggest gentelman I have ever known. Growing up with six brothers, you aren't treated like a lady very much. It's very overrated these days, Harry. Chivalry, that is."

"So, are you two dating then"

"Well, we haven't said anything about being girlfriend and boyfriend yet, but I would consider it. Now if you don't mind, I need to finish these charts so I can finish what remains of the mountain of work I have to do. Honestly, I don't know how anyone makes it through their O.W.L.s. Where's Luna? She knows her way around the library almost as much as Hermione. She should be back by now." Ginny looked around, seeing if she spotter her friend.

Harry turned and looked too. "I'll go look for her." He got up and made his way to the back of the library where he had seen Luna walk.

He found her at a bookcase close to the back of the library. She was staring blankly at the floor, holding an open book in her hand. He walked closer to her, ready to ask her if she was alright, when he heard voices.

"And her hair! Sometimes, I wonder if she owns a brush! Honestly, Harry Potter really must be a nutter for falling for her." The voice was coming from the table on the other side of the bookshelf. Several voices agreed with this statement.

He stood next to her, breaking her stare. She pretended to be very interested in the book she was holding, but he knew that their words were getting to her. He put his ear closer to listen to what they were saying.

"She's not even that pretty! And she's mad. Her father runs that absolutely ridiculous magazine. That's where she gets her wackjob ideas." The girl saying this started to laugh. "Why, just last week I heard her talking about some creature called a leapoldara, or something like that. Complete loon." The other people starting giggling. "Oh, let me show you what I found on her nightstand yesterday."

Luna snapped the book shut and began to walk away, when Harry grabbed her arm. He motioned for her to wait. He started to turn the corner of the book shelf. As soon as the people at the table saw Harry, they stopped giggling. He stared at each of them. All of them were in Ravenclaw.

"Can we help you" asked a girl with long, straight, brown hair. She blinked nervously at Harry, trying to keep her cool.

When he saw what was in her hand, he had to stop himself from taking out his wand and hexing her.

"Just thought that you should know your big mouth carries and I heard every word you said. Want to know why I like Luna? Because she's not like people like you who think they are better than everyone else. Who are you to judge her? She happens to be one of the only genuine people in this school. She isn't afraid to be herself even though people as thick as you all mock her. I'll be taking that back now, thanks." He held his hand out to the girl with brown hair. She stared at him, frozen, with her mouth open.

The girl next to her poked her on the side, and she blinked several times. She slowly held out her hand and dropped its contents into his hand. He turned from them and found Luna still standing on the other side of the bookcase.

She opened her mouth to say something, but Harry held out what he had in his hand before she could utter a word. Her eyes opened wider then he had ever seen and she gasped in surprise. "My... my mother's necklace! Oh my goodness! Harry! I ... I can't believe you got it" She jumped up and threw her arms around his neck tightly. The force pushed him into the bookcase opposite where they were standing. Before he knew what was happening, she kissed him passionately until they heard someone clear their throat. They pulled apart to see an exasperated Ginny tapping her foot on the floor.

"Hey, Romeo and Juliet, I still have essays to do for Transfiguration and Potions. Could we hurry this up" she said, grinning.

Harry fell asleep that night thinking of Luna's smile and how great a kisser she was.

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**Once again, I beg (literally, BEG) you to review and let me know what you think so far. There's still lots of things to come, and despite my heavyworkload for schoolI plan on staying consistent with updates. The more reviews I get, the more motivated I am to write! A big thank you to all who have already let me know what they think, and I hope you continue to do so!**


	9. Chapter Nine

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update! I've been very busy with school and stuff. This chapter is kind of short to me, but I hope you like it.**

**And as always, I do not own Harry Potter!**

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**DEATHEATER ATTACKS**

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has been quiet for months now.

Yesterday, he broke that silence with an attack in the

town of Aberdeen in Scotland. Two of his Deatheaters, who have not

yet been identified, attacked an Inn during the night. They killed four

muggles and the Wizard couple that owned the Inn while they slept. The

couple has been identified as Mr. and Mrs. Riley. They

are survived by their only child, Amelie Riley, a second-year

student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The reason behind the killings is unknown as of now. All members

of the Wizarding Community are adviced to keep extremely

cautious until more is found out.

Harry looked at the front of the Daily Prophet for the fifth time that day. A picture of the late Rileys smiled up at him from the front page, taken around Christmas time with their daughter. _Another orphan_, he thought. Dumbledore gave a speech at breakfast that morning, informing the students that Amelie would be not be in school for a few days. She was in Hufflepuff, and the rest of her House looked very glum.

Harry wondered why the Rileys were attacked. He had never heard of them, none of them were in the Order, and there seemed to be no reason why they would be targeted. Was Voldemort merely killing random wizards? Maybe he was killing any family that he knew didn't support him. Harry tried not to think of it for too long because he got a headache everytime he did.

"Mr. Potter, I highly doubt that anything in the Daily Prophet will be in your NEWT exams, so I advice that you pay attention to what we are about to learn because this will most _definately_ be on the exam."

He looked up into the disapproving eyes of Professor McGonagall. A little embarrassed, he put the Daily Prophet aside and looked up to watch the demonstration McGonagall was about to start.

An hour later, everyone was packing up their things, ready to go down to dinner. He was about to leave the room with Hermione and Ron when he heard Professor McGonagall call his name. "Harry Potter."

He was sure she was going to lecture him about paying attention in class. He slowly made his way to her desk at the front of the room. She looked up from her papers. "The Headmaster has asked me to send you to his office before dinner. He said that he needed to talk to you about something."

She got up from the desk and motioned for him to follow her. As they got closer to Dumbledore's office, they saw him standing outside the stone gargoyle that guarded the entrance.

"Oh, Headmaster! I was just bringing Potter to speak with you." She said, surprised to see him.

"Thank you, Minerva. I will take it from here." Dumbledore spoke the password, and motioned for Harry to go up the stone stairs with him.

He was feeling nervous, and slowly followed Dumbledore into his office. His knees felt wobbly at the thoughts floating through his mind as to why Dumbledore would want to speak with him.

"Have a seat, Harry. I am sure this will be a short visit,as I can imagine you are as hungry as I am", Dumbledore said as he sat behind his desk.

"An old friend of mine works in the Archives Department at the Ministry of Magic, Harry. Do you know what that is?" Harry shook his head.

" I didn't think so, it is not a very well known division, being a pretty stiff and tedious job. He basically keeps records of all Wizards. He records every marriage, every birth, every death. He can trace almost anyone's family back several generations."

Harry was confused. He didn't understand where he factored into this. He looked expectantly at Dumbledore, waiting for him to continue.

Dumbledore stood and paced behind his desk. "I asked him to look at the Riley family tree. I wanted some further insight into any possible reason why they might have been targeted, and I daresay I have come very close to something. You see, the Riley family goes back generations, but most interestingly at one point, through marriage, they were blended with the descendents of Helga Hufflepuff. So that means the Riley's were in some way a direct descendent of Helga. Now, since Hogwarts began, each founder decreed that the youngest member of their family was the Heir Apparent. As long as each family went on, then the glory of their House would prevail. A couple centuries or so ago, arrangements were made to preserve each House, to ensure that all of them were protected, even without the Heir Apparent.

"You see, no one knew what would happen if the founders blood line ended. And as far as I know, that hasn't happened yet. But each Heir Apparent still plays a valuable role, I feel. I'm not too sure what this role is yet, but I know that in time their purpose will be made clear. What I find curious is why Voldemort has become interested in the roles of the Heirs Apparent."

Harry was piecing everything together in his mind. "So... what you're saying" he stammered, "is that Amelie Riley is the Heir Apparent of Hufflepuff? But, isn't Voldemort the Heir of Slytherin? Who are the other Heirs? The founders lived so long ago, wouldn't they be related to several Wizarding families in some way or another?"

"Well, in a way, yes. Not many, but maybe a few. But there are certain families in which their blood flows the strongest. From my calculations, the Riley family is the one that is related the closest. To answer your other questions, it would appear as if Miss Riley is the Heir of Hufflepuff. And we do know that Voldemort is the Heir of Slytherin, of course. I cannot say I know who the Ravenclaw Heir is."

"Well, can't you just look at the records and trace forward?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore sat back down, tapping his fingers lightly againt eachother. "Well, I did think of that. But a problem arose when I thought back to other legends I had heard. You see, the story goes that Rowena had given birth to an illegitamate child. This was extremely taboo in those days, so not much is known of this child. What is known is that Rowena was never able to have children, after that one. And you see while records are kept today, that was not always the practice. We know what we can know, but there will always be uncertanties due to lack of information. Do you understand, Harry?"

Harry nodded. "What do they say happened to the child, Professor?"

"Well, it is only speculation, but it is said she gave the child away. To a lovely, older wizard couple who had no children of their own. However, what I find curious is why you have not asked about the Heir of your own house, Harry."

Harry paused. He hadn't thought about that. "Do you know who the Heir of Gryffindor is?"

Dumbledore thought for a moment and then looked into Harry's eyes. "You."

Harry blinked several times. He didn't know what to say. How could he have never known this?

"You see, Harry, there's another reason you pulled Godric Gryffindor's sword out of the sorting hat your second year here. I had my friend trace the family on your father's side. Sure enough, I found that you are the youngest descendent of Gryffindor. I do not know how this plays in the prophecy, if it even does at all. What I do know is that this means you must be even more careful. If Voldemort is indeed interested in the Heirs of Hogwarts, you are in even more danger. I don't say this to add more to the heavy burden you already carry, but I think it wise that you be informed. I have learned that hiding the truth from you is not helping you in any way. I promise that I will inform you of anything else I find out. In the mean time, why don't you go down and have some dinner. And, Harry, I would advice you not to spread any word of the Heir theory I have. Tell few, if any."

Harry got up, said good-bye, and left the office. His heart was beating so fast he was sure it would beat right out of his chest. What did this mean? Did he really need to worry about this, on top of everything else? He stopped in his tracks, and turned around. He was no longer hungry, so he made his way up to the dormitory instead. The whole journey to Gryffindor Tower he wished more than ever that he still had Sirius to talk to. He really needed him now.

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**Sorry it was so short! Please read and review!**


	10. Chapter Ten

**A/N: Okay, so it has been forever and a day since I last updated. Sorry for the long wait, school was very time consuming this semester, but now that I can say I am a college graduate, I can write more. Yippy! So here is the next chapter, not all that long, but I should be updating more frequently now. Thank you to those who have reviewed, and keep it going! **

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"_This makes the Angora Manifest one of the deadliest creatures known to exist_." Harry read the same line for the fifth time, staring at the same page he had been looking at for the past hour.

He sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. He just couldn't focus for the life of him. He looked up to see Hermione looking at him with the concerned look on her face that he was all too familiar with.

"Harry...what's wrong? You haven't turned that page since we started studying."

He snapped the book shut and rested his chin on the cover. "I just don't feel like studying. Not _everyone_ insists on studying every minute of the day like you do, you know."

He felt the tap of someones foot on his calf, and turned to the person sitting next to him. Luna eyed him warily and then closed her own book. "Let's go for a walk, Harry, yeah?"

Without waiting for him to answer, she pushed her chair out from under the table and rose to her feet. She gathered up her things and waited for him to do the same. Then after nodding good-bye to Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, she lead the way out of the library. Once in the hallway, she stopped and turned to Harry.

"You go ahead and put your things away and I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall in five minutes. Oh, and bring gloves."

Again, without waiting for an answer, she turned and walked away.

He turned and made his way to Gryffindor Tower. _Who does she think she is? _he thought to himself. _And why the bloody hell do I have to wear gloves to go for a walk? It's not even snowing. _After throwing his books in his trunk, he grabbed his gloves and made his way back downstairs. She wasn't at the Entrance Hall when he got there, and that angered him more.

He looked at some of the paintings while he waited. He watched an old witch chase around a small boy for several minutes until his eyes rested on a portrait of Godric Gryffindor. Gryffindor waved jubilantly at Harry as he adjusted the sword he was holding. Harry huffed angrily and turned away.

Luna was making her way across the hall, slipping her colorful gloves onto her hands. Without a word, the two walked out and down to the bush they had visited weeks ago. As they got close to it, Luna put a hand on Harry's shoulder and motioned for him to walk slower. She put a finger over her lips to indicate that they should be very quiet. She pointed to one of the boxes they had decorated the bush with. Together they peered over the edge to see the contents.

They both gasped. Sleeping inside the box was a creature that had to be no taller than 5 inches. It looked like a tiny woman. The Moon Sprite had light blue skin and long hair the exact color of gold. Spread out behind her were two wings. They were a darker blue, shimmering in the sunlight. When he looked closer, Harry noticed that there was an intricate pattern of swirls all over the wings.

To his surprise, he saw Luna reach into the box and gingerly cup the sprite in her hands. "Open your hands", she whispered to him. He held the palms of his hands out and understood at once why Luna had told him to bring his gloves. Even through the thickness of them, he could still feel the cold coming from the sprites body. Slowly starting at his fingertips, a feeling spread through his body. It was a feeling of absolute peace and serenity, a feeling he had never felt before.

Luna smiled at him. Speaking barely above a whisper, she said to him "Moon sprites are said to have a unique ability to spread calmness. I have no words of wisdom to fix whatever is hurting you, but I thought this could bring you peace for at least a little while."

He opened his mouth to say something. He wanted to tell her everything, but the words didn't come out. He couldn't put this burden on her, too. It was enough that it plagued his every thought and haunted his dreams nightly. He could never put this on her as well. The Moon Sprite rolled over in his hands and nuzzled into his thumb.

He placed the sprite back into the box, and put his hand out for Luna to take. Together, they walked back up to the castle. Again, neither said a word. The silence was that of reassurance and understanding. Sometimes, not saying anything speaks a world of truth.

His sense of calmness didn't get a chance to last very long. The next morning at breakfast, a large barn owl came before the rest of the post with a letter for Ron. He slowly read it. When he reached the end, his eyes had grown three times in size.

He handed the letter to Hermione. Actually, he dropped it in her direction. She caught it just before it floated onto a big plate of sausages.

Harry watched as her eyes scanned the page. "Oh dear...", she said softly. He didn't like the worried look on her face.

She handed the letter to Harry.

Ron,

You remember Tara from the shop right? Last night while she was closing the store, she was attacked. She's in St. Mungo's now, I'm here too. Mum and Dad are on their way. BE CAREFUL. I have a feeling You-Know-Who is behind this. Will tell you more news when it comes, unless the Daily Prophet beats me to it.

George

He looked at Ron. His face was unusually pale.

"I... I... don't understand... what if they were looking for George?" Ron asked to no one in particular. Hermione put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. He reached up and grabbed her hand. Harry folded the letter and slid it over the table to Ron's free hand.

Just then, dozens of owls flew into the Great Hall, dropping letters and newspapers at the students they were addressed to. Most had decided to get the Daily Prophet after news of the last attack, so it came as no surprise to any of them when they heard gasps around them. Hermione took the copy that had been delivered to her and slowly opened it. She looked at the front page, and then turned it to show Harry and Ron.

**ATTACK IN HOGSMEADE**

**WEASLEY'S WIZARDING WHEEZES TARGETED**

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**Please, oh please review! I will love you forever!**

**:finishes typing, gets on hands and knees and begs to the computer:**


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